The British School of Barcelona is part of the Cognita family of schools

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

The British School of Barcelona is part of the global Cognita family of schools. We are taking our responsibilities as a group very seriously and are adhering to the guidance of the Ministry of Health and local governments in Spain, holding daily meetings to adapt as the situation develops and using our learning from our schools in Asia to ensure we keep our children safe. Since June, The British School of Barcelona is open for teaching and learning onsite only for some year groups and a reduced number of students (following guidance from authorities) with the rest of our teachers and pupils doing remote and online teaching and learning.  

We’re managing our response in a way that is proportionate, calm and informed by our experience around the world. We will update this page regularly as the situation develops and/or as we implement further measures to keep our community safe.

UPDATES

Currently, The British School of Barcelona is closed and our teachers and pupils are doing remote teaching and learning.

WHAT WE’RE DOING

At The British School of Barcelona we have established a remote and online teaching and learning programme for all students.

We are committed to keeping our children on track with their learning at all times therefore we will inform you of how this will be taking place and how to access the online platforms that have been set up for your child.

We would like to share with you a document from Fidelma Murphy, Director of Education in Cognita Spain, explaining how we are organising our Online Teaching & Learning Programme at The British School of Barcelona with our students and briefly explaining the pedagogy behind this type of learning.

REPORTING SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of coronavirus, as given by the Ministry of Health,  are:

  • A cough
  • High temperature
  • Shortness of breath

However, these symptoms are shared by many other illnesses such as cold and flu.

If you, your child or a member of your family begins to feel unwell with these symptoms, please stay at home and call 061 (Cataluña).

Please also report these symptoms to the school along with details of any travel from the last 14 days.

WHO TO CONTACT

Parents and pupils should contact the school to report any symptoms, to ask any questions or to share any concerns:

A reminder that the email you can use for any queries directly related to the COVID-19 is as follows:
Covid19-Spain@cognita.com

VISITING US

Based on the World Health Organisation’s declaration that the coronavirus is now a public health emergency of international concern and the subsequent raising of the risk level in Spain, we have decided to cancel any private visit to schools and any Open Days until the school goes back to normal to ensure the safety of our students, teachers and staff.

However, we remain virtually open and our Admissions team is available online to guide you through the admissions process and offer the best personal attention.

Thank you for helping us take all the appropriate precautions at this time. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Contact Us

AFFECTED AREAS

The Ministerio de Sanidad is advising that you may need to get medical advice if you’ve recently travelled to Spain from somewhere with a higher risk of coronavirus.

These places can be seen here.

The Spanish Government also has a regularly updated listed of countries and areas with implications for returning travellers. If you are concerned about any recent travel, you can visit this page. 

REDUCING RISK

The Government has published advice for how to reduce the risk from coronavirus in education settings.

To help stop the virus from spreading:

  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
  • Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards – for at least 20 seconds
  • Wash your hands with soap and water often and particularly after:
    • breaks and sports activities
    • before and after cooking or eating
    • on arrival at any childcare or education setting
    • after using the toilet
    • before leaving and after returning home
  • Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available

The full advice poster can be found on the Government’s website.

USEFUL LINKS

There are a number of additional resources that you may find useful for further information on the coronavirus, the Government and international response and how best to talk about the outbreak with your children. Links to these can be found below:

WHO: HAND WASHING 

CBC: TALKING TO CHILDREN